A Poverty Spirit

When I had just finished University, I happened to get a job. My boss was a lady with so many investments; hostels, restaurants, buildings, a quarry etc. While at the quarry i would go monitor how many trucks have collected stones. Each truck would pay a minimum of 40000 per trip.  Other duties were to collect hostel fees from students, rent from all the tenants, and then bank all the money at the end of the day. The funniest moment was when the first month ended. I waited to be paid but all was in vain. Interestingly, I would bank a minimum of 1000000 everyday but she could not get 250,000/= to clear me.   After two weeks had passed, I requested to be paid and yes, she did. I continued working thinking things would change in the subsequent months but unfortunately, it just got worse. Unless you asked for your salary, you would never be paid. That was the order of the day. It’s so funny how she would always pressurize tenants. She desired to be paid but when It came to her, paying her employees was a battle.

One of the days while on my way to work,  I was coned and all the money I had for transport was taken. I arrived at work and narrated to her how I was coned. She asked, how much money I had lost. Ten thousand shillings, I responded. She got 10,000/= and gave it to me that day. But remember I am demanding her my pay for the previous month. After a period of a week, I asked for my salary. She paid me and as soon as she had handed me the money, she was like last week I gave you my 10,000/= can you please return it to me.  I got 10,000/= from the 250,000/= and gave it to her. Now was it a money problem? was it greed? or was it a poverty spirit?. It can be a combination of the three, however to me it was a sign of poverty. She had all the worldly possessions but was poor at heart.

A poverty spirit is not limited to only the poorest in our world but can be found in all income levels and it is never satisfied, it always wants more and more. I believe a person who does work deserves to be compensated for it. This is true whether  its digging ditches, washing dishes, cooking, programing computers, writing etc. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages, 1 Timothy 5:18 NKJV.

So if you have someone doing work for you? Be prepared to pay them. Honor God’s Word enough to pay them.

A poverty spirit has showed up in so many ways; in families, work places, relationships, community etc. Recently a friend told me how one of his tenants requested him to put up an outside latrine because she doesn’t want the maid to use the inside toilets. This is also an example of a poverty spirit. A maid is a human being with flesh and blood and ought to be valued.

Also, criticizing someone for spending money they have is a sign of a poverty spirit. “That money was wasted on that nice shoe/car/name it. It should have been given to the Kingdom.”

“I don’t think that church should have built that     (swimming pool, auditorium, arcade, whatever) on their property. What a waste of money.”

“Well, they just travel all the time. They probably spend all their money traveling, and have nothing left to put their kids in a decent school.”

If these sound familiar, my prayer is that God will help you build your faith for His abundance, that you will begin to follow God’s plan and His instructions as written in His Word.